Melding device for card games



June 5, 1962 J. MGDANIEL ALBRIGHT 3,037,774

MELDING DEVICE FOR CARD GAMES Filed Feb. 12, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR J. M.Albrighr BY ww hw W ATTORNEY June 5, 1962 I J. MCDANIEL ALBRIGHT 3,037,774

MELDING DEVICE FOR CARD GAMES Filed Feb. 12, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet ii 5%! i! H w;

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ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofiiice 3,037,774 Patented June 5, 1962 3,037,774 MELDING DEVICE FOR CARD GAMES James McDaniel Albsight, 1902 Des Jardines, Houston, Tex. Filed Feb. 12, 1959, Ser. No. 792,834 4 Claims. (Cl. 273-148) The present invention relates to melding device for card games and has for an object and purpose to facilitate the handling of the players cards when playing the game known as Canasta, although the same may conceivably be applicable to other games in which melding constitutes part of the play.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device which facilitates the placing of the cards on the table as melds and canastas are made.

A further object of the invention resides in providing a simple and efficient device for the above purposes by the use of which the entire game is speeded.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide upon the board or mat ample space for all melds whereby it is unnecessary for the melder to shift cards to make room for additional melds as the game progresses; by reason of which the player placing the cards is allowed more time to devote to the playing of his hand.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a device whereby it is much easier for all players to keep up with the game as the cards are concentrated in a much smaller area, and are in sequence, making them seen at a glance.

It is also within the contemplation of the invention to provide a device to receive melded cards and to retain the cards so that the same are not so easily knocked out of place as in the conventional method of play, eliminating time out to straighten out the cards after an accidental jolt of the table.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a melding device for card games constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a similar view showing the application of melded cards thereto.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view showing comparatively the spread of melded cards on a gaming table as presently practiced without the use of the invention.

FIGURE 4 is a bottom plan view of the device.

FIGURE 5 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on an enlarged scale on the line 55 in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 6 is a similar view taken on the line 6-6 in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 7 is an end elevational stacked condition of the device.

FIGURE 8 is a plan view taken on a much magnified scale of one of the panels and card pockets.

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary top plan view showing a modified form of the invention.

FIGURE 10 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on an enlarged scale on the line 1010 in FIGURE 9.

FIGURE 11 is a sectional view of the modified hinge taken on the line 11-11 in FIGURE 10.

FIGURE 12 is a similar view showing the hinge members detached.

Referring more particularly to the drawings and for the present to that form of the device shown in FIG- URES l to 8 inclusive, 15 designates panels which are preferably long, narrow and thin strips of metal, plastic view showing a or other suitable material having pockets for the receipt of the side edges of the cards, such pockets being preferably comprised of upstanding walls 16 and flanges 17. As more particularly appears in FIGURE 6, the walls 16 may be curved but they are generally normal to the plane of the panels 15 while the flanges 17 are substantially parallel to the plane of the panels 15 and overlie the same thus forming pockets at longitudinal edges of the panels 15 which pockets are closed with the exception of the side which communicates with the space immediately above the panels 15.

As appears most clearly in FIGURE 8, the ends 18 of the flanges 17 are rounded to avoid presenting any sharp or abrupt edges to the hand of the player in the act of shifting the melded cards longitudinally of the panels 15.

The panels 15 will be numerically of the same number as the different denominations of the cards in play in the game and eleven such panels 15 are provided for use in connection with the game known as Canasta. The ends of the panels 15 adjacent the player will be provided with indicia 19 identifying the different card denominations as for instance Ace, King, Queen, Jack and numerically 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4. At the end portions of the panels 15 away from the player this same indicia arrangement relatively reversed appears at 20 in order that the board or mat provided by the invention may be relatively reversed for the convenience of right and left hand players. By reversing the device from the position illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2, the pockets will. be brought to the right side of the panels convenient for the insertion of the cards by a left handed player.

As shown more particularly in FIGURE 8, markers 21, preferably constituted of spaced lines on the upper surfaces of the flanges 17 running substantially transversely of the panels 15 indicate placement positions for the lower edges of the cards in play.

As appears more particularly in FIGURE 4, flexible tapes 22 are employed to join the panels 15 together in side by side and spaced substantially parallel relation.

These tapes may be two in number disposed near opposite ends of the panels 15 and afiixed, as by adhesive or otherwise, to the under surfaces of the panels 15 as indicated in FIGURE 6. As the panels 15 are spaced apart along the lengths of the tapes 22, tape flexible hinge shanks 24 are provided between the panels 15, which enables the panels 15 to be moved relatively to one another so that the same may be laid on any fiat or irregular surface and by lifting the device or a part thereof from the table or supporting surfaces the panels 15 may be manipulated angularly relatively to one another. Also these flexible shanks 24 permit the device to be folded into the stack form shown in FIGURE 7 which will be convenient for shipping the device and also for carrying the same about the person of the player from place to place.

Referring more particularly to that form of the invention shown in FIGURES 9 to 12 inclusive, a different type of hinge is employed consisting of hinged leaves 26 and 27 afiixed in any desired manner to adjoining panels 15. One of the leaves 26 is shown in FIGURES 11 and 12 to have a pair of spaced apart shanks 28 and 29 made of metal, plastic or some material possessing some degree of resiliency. The shanks carry spaced ball heads 30 and 31. The opposite hinge leaf 27 carries a shank 32 which may be resilient although not necessarily so, this shank 32 being provided with part spherical sockets 33, 34 disposed opposite to the ball heads 36 31 when the parts are in the position of FIGURE 11. The rounded surfaces of the ball heads 30, 31 permit the shank 32 to be pried out from between the balls and also inserted therebetween, at which time the balls 30,

,2 at position E.

3 31 will snap into the sockets 33, 34, such balls having been spread apart and put under elastic stress by the initial introduction of the shank 32. therebetween. The engagement of the ball heads 30, 31 in the part spherical sockets 33, 34 provide pivotal or hinge joints by which the panels 15 may have relative rotary movement. In this form of the invention the panels may be separated by applying force or thrust to withdraw the shank 32 from between the ball heads 30, 31. The detached panels 15 may be then stacked one upon another for conservation of space incident to transportation. At

destination the panels may be readily united by forcing the shanks 32 between the balls 30, 31.

Rubber or other pads 35 may be aflixed to the undersides'of the hinge leaves 26, 2.7 and will serve to support the hinge parts above the table or other playing surface to avoid marring the same and also to prevent a too eas sliding of the device upon the table.

In operation, melds will be placed only'in the spaces provided for the particular cards being melded. The space markers 21 across board are intended as a guide for placing the melds. be placed with its lower edge even with the bottom of the panel. Subsequent cardsare placed at progressive higher positions with their lower edges in alignment successively with the markers 21 until six cards are molded. See FIGURE 2 the positions marked A, B, C, D and E. The fifth card should be melded short of the letter or figure 20 at the top of the board and the sixth card should completely cover the letter or figure 20. This identifies the meld as six cards, instead of turning the sixth card crosswise, as in conventional play.

Canastas are identified by sliding all the cards forward to the top of the board and leaving them there until the deal is over. Thiscondition is represented in FIGURE In the interest of keeping the board as small as conveniently possible, no space has been pro- The first card of a meld should cards so that each card may rest upon the flange of the pocket of the next adjacent panel while fitted in the pocket of its respective panel.

Although I have disclosed herein the best form of the invention known to me at this time, I reserve the right to all such modifications and changes as may come Within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A melding device'for canasta card games comprising a plurality of panels each having a raised pocket along one longitudinal edge only for receiving side edges of melded playing cards, the opposed longitudinal edges of the panels being left free, said panels being longer than a playing card to accommodate a plurality of said cards in lapped formation lengthwise of each panel, hinge means attached to the back portions of the panels for hinging the same together in side by side relationship the distance from the raised pocket at one side edge of a panel to the raised pocket of the next adjacent panel being less than the width of a conventional playing card but greater; than the width of a panel so that the latter raised pocket will be overlapped by and will support the projecting side portions of the cards in the first pocket and so that said hinge means enables folding of said panels into superposed relation.

I 2. A melding device for canasta card games comprising a plurality of panels each having a raised pocket along one longitudinal edge only for receiving side edges of melded playing cards, the opposed longitudinal edges of the panels being left free, said panels being longer than a playing card to accommodate a plurality of said cards in lapped formation lengthwiseof each panel, flexible means attached to the back portions of the panels for flexibly hinging the panels together in spaced relation to one anvided for red treys, as they present no major problem.

It is suggested that they may be placed at an end of the board most convenient to the player. In FIGURE 2 see position F.

Similarly, if American Canasta is; being played, the wild card meld can be placed at the opposite end from the red treys. When the hand is completed, all the unfinished canastas are slid out of their respective positions and into the players hand, leaving only the canastas and red treys in place so that all the players may see the count. When the count is settled, the canastas are placed with the unfinishedcanastas previously removed, and count is made for game.

The device can be made from a variety of materials, such as plastic, rubber, fiber, fabrics, tinplate, aluminum, etc. and can be made in rigid form as well as made to fold.

For different materials there will be varying methods of manufacture and the assembling of the parts. Various materials and methods of assembly may be used and practiced. v e FIGURE 3 shows the wide spread of melded cards as heretofore generally practiced in the playing of the game Canasta. Of course such cards could not be overlapped as can be done with the device of this invention as shown in FIGURE 2 and comparatively 'FEGURE 2 shows a much more condensed and concentrated arrangement of the cards and at the same time an organization of the cards which may be more clearly and accurately read at any particular time during the progress of the play.

In FIGURE 3 the cards are not organized and they are not confined to any particular position and they can be readily jolted or blown out of their proper arrangement or piles and cause the greatest confusion and contentions in the practical playing of the game.

The panels plus the hinge shanks connecting the same are preferably together narrower than the width of the other in side by side close relationship, the flexible means from the raised pocket at one side edge of a panel to the raised pocket of the next adjacent panel being less than the width of a conventional playing card but greater than the width of a panel so that the latter raised pocket will be overlapped by and will support the projecting side portions of the cards engaged in the first pocket and so that said flexible means enables folding of said panels into superposed relation.

3. A melding device for canasta card games comprising a plurality of panels of long narrow thin material, upstanding Walls along one longitudinal side edge of each panel, flanges on the upper portions of said upstanding walls overlying the panels and forming with the panels and the upstanding walls pockets having free entrance openings inwardly 'of the panels to freely receive longitudinal side edges of a plurality of playing cards, the longitudinal edges of the panels opposite the pockets being left free, said panels being longer than a playing card to accommodate a plurality of said cards in lapped formation lengthwise of the panels, hinge means attached to the back portions of the panels for coupling the same together for relative hinging movements and in side 'by side close relationship the distance from the raised pocket at one side edge of a panel to the raised pocket of the next adjacent panel being less than the width of a conventional playing card but greater than the width of a panel so that the latter raised pocket will be overlapped by and will support the projecting side portions of the cards in the first pocket and so that said hinge means enables folding of said panels into superposed relation.

4. A melding device for can-asta card games comprising a plurality of narrow long thin panels having relatively short end edges and relatively long side edges, upstanding walls at one side edge of the panels with the other side edge left free, said upstanding walls having inturned flanges overlapping and spaced above the panels and in substantial parallelism with the panels to provide side pockets having free entrance openings inwardly of the panels to freely receive longitudinal side edges of a plurality of playing cards, said panels being longer than a playing card to accommodate a plurality of said cards in lapped formation lengthwise of each panel slid'able longitudinally of the panel, said flanges being of such narrow Width that While confining side edge portions of the cards they do not obscure designating indicia on adjacent corner portions of the cards, said flanges having longitudinally spaced markers externally thereof for indicating stepped placement of the lower edges of a melded stack of cards, said panels bearing indicia in identification of the denominations of the various cards employed in the game, and flexible tapes secured in common to the back portions of the panels with free shank portions of the tapw extending between the panels for flexibly hinging the panels together and in spaced relation, the tapes from the raised pocket at one side edge of a panel to the References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 800,966 Woodward Oct. 3, 1905 1,781,850 Ladd Nov. 18, 1930 2,731,270 Schulz Ian. 17, 1956 2,792,228 Chaikin May 14, 1957 2,818,261 Morgan Dec. 31, 1957 

